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Petit mal seizure

Seizure - petit mal; Absence seizure; Seizure - absence

A petit mal seizure is the term given to a staring spell. It ismost commonly called an absence seizure. It is a brief (usually less than 15 seconds) disturbance of brain function due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Causes

Petit mal seizures occur mostoften in people under age 20, usually in children ages 6 to 12.

They may occur with other types of seizures, such as generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal seizures), twitches or jerks (myoclonus), or sudden loss of muscle strength (atonic seizures).

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure is a seizure that involves the entire body. It is also called grand mal seizure. The terms seizure, convulsion, or...